Molasses blender



P 0, 1955 G. F. SCHROEDER 2,718,384

' MOLASSES BLENDER Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I J y n MolassesPPY Fig. Q 40 Gordon E Schroeder INV EN TOR.

BY -mg,

Sept. 20, 1955 G. F. SCHROEDER MOLASSES BLENDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 4, 1954 Fig. 2

Fig 4 52 60 74 Gordon R Schroeder INVENTOR.

United States Patent MOLASSES BLENDER Gordon F. Schroeder, Menomonie,Wis.

Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,179

2 Claims. (Cl. 259-9) This invention relates to a molasses blender andparticularly to a portable device for blending molasses with dry feedfor feeding stock and other purposes.

In feeding dry grain feed to stock materially improved benefits may beobtained if molasses is blended withthe dry grain not only in that it ismore palatable to the stock but the benefits secured therefrom will beincreased.

Because of the sticky nature of the molasses considerable difficulty hasheretofore been experienced in uniformly blending the molasses with thedry feed such as ground grain or the like.

The present invention provides a blender which uniformly blends themolasses through the ground mixture so that there will be a substantialuniformity of the amount of molasses fed with the various portions offeed and so as to p'revent balling up of the material because of dropsof molasses therein.

In the construction according to the present invention the blendercomprises a mixing chamber adapted to receive a stream of molassestogether with a stream of dry feed from any suitable feeder either ofvertical or inclined type with the material being poured in at asubstantially uniform stream into the top of the mixing chamber wheresuitable blending blades or mixing blades will cause mingling of the twostreams of material so that the molasses will be uniformly mixed withthe dry feed material and a control gate is placed intermediate the endsof the chamber to control the rate of flow through the mixing chamber sothat the mixing may be thoroughly accomplished.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improvedmolasses blender.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a blender havingmeans for controlling the rate of flow therethrough.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved mixingblade for a molasses blender.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the accompanying description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is an elevational view partially in section of the molassesblender according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation through the molasses blender;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section through the molasses blendertaken substantially on the plane indicated by the section line 33 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the molasses blender; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the control gates showingthe construction thereof.

In the exemplary embodiment according to the invention a suitablecontainer is provided with a quantity of dry feed 12 and is alsoprovided with an outlet aperture 14 through which the dry feed may beimpelled by a suitable agitator 16. The entire device may be "icemounted in any manner but is shown as being mounted on the floor 18 bymeans of a suitable column 20 in which may be mounted suitable drivingmechanism for the agitator 16. The feed delivered through the spout 14will fall through an aperture 22 in the floor 18 and be delivered to asuitable chute 24 to be delivered to various feeding compartments orinto any other suitable container.

The molasses blender itself comprises a suitable platform 30 having apair of front wheels 32 and a swivel rear wheel 34. Preferably theplatform 30 is provided with a handle 36 by which the platform may bemoved about on the wheels 32 and 34.

The platform 30 is provided with an aperture 38 so that the feed fromthe mixing chamber presently to be described may be discharged throughthe aperture 22 into the chute 24.

The mixing chamber comprises an elongated vertically extended chamberpreferably substantially rectangular in cross section with the chamberbeing mounted rigidly on the platform 30 so that material fed into thetop 42 of the container 40 will be discharged through the and have oneside thereof connected to a side 48 of the container 40 and extends fromend to end of the device such as the walls 50 and 52 of the device. Aswinging gate or door 54 is mounted adjacent to the wall 56 opposite tothe wall 48 by means of a control shaft 60. The control shaft 60 beingjournalled in the opposed walls 50 and 52 and the door 54 beingswingable into and out of closing relation with the baffle 46. Thecontrol handle 64 is rigidly connected to the shaft 60 and beingoperable to cause swinging motion of the gate or door 54.

Preferably bearing hubs 66 and 68 are mounted on the sides 52 and 50 toreceive the ends of the shaft 60 to prevent undue wear of the materialof the chamber. In order to lock the gate 54 in a suitable selectedposition a rack bar 70 is secured to the side of the chamber 40 by meansof an angle bar 72 with the rack bar 70 extending substantiallyperpendicular to the side of the container so that the lever 64 may beselectively connected in the slots 74 to locate the lever in any desiredposition. Preferably the lever 64 is of somewhat resilient material sothat it may be readily sprung in or out of the slot 74.

In order to provide proper mixing or blending of the dry feed with themolasses, the mixer comprises a shaft extending transversely of thechamber 40 intermediate the closure and the top 42 of the device. Theends of the shaft 80 are preferably mounted in suitable hubs 82 and 84and will carry suitable driving devices such as the sheaves 86. Thedriving motor 88 will preferably be mounted on a platform 30 and havinga sheave 90 connected to the sheave 86 by any suitable means such as theV-belts 92.

A plurality of mixing blades 94, 96, 98 and will be mounted on the shaft80 preferably in substantially evenly spaced relation therealong andwill be rigidly secured thereto by any suitable means such as the setscrews 102. Preferably the blades 94, 98 and 100 are of substantiallyidentical length and are somewhat less length than the width of thechamber 40. However, the blade 96 is preferably longer than the blades94, 98 and 100 andpreferahlyis of sufiicient length that it has aminimum clearance with the sides 50 and 52 of the container 40.Preferably the blade 96 will be positioned at aboutthe region oftheentrance. of the-material to be mixed so that it will bescatteredaboutso as to be meted and blended by the blades 94, 98' and 100 as Wellasby the blade 96.

In the. operation of the blender according to the invention, theplatform 30 will be assembled'with the chamber 40 in position to receivematerial from the spouts 14 and the conduit 44 and the gate 54 will beadjusted to control the amount ofvflow .therethrough so that apredetermined amount of material will be in the chamber. The motor 88will be geared to the shaft 80. so that the shaft 80 is. rotated atapproximatelythe speed of 800 R. P. M. andin the preferred embodiment ofthe device the distance between the walls 50 and 52 will besubstantially 12 inches so that the length of the blade- 96-will beonthe order of 11 inches while the blades 94, 98 and 100 are of thelength of the order of 8 inches. Obviously, this dimension will changefor various sizes of devices but in general the proportions will bemaintained so that the mixing will be very thorough so that the liquidmolasses will be evenly distributed through the dry material.

For simplicity of illustration and description the preferred embodimentof the invention has been shown and described according to the bestpresent understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent to thoseskilled inthe art that various changesand modifications in theconstruction and arrangement of parts thereof mayreadily be resorted towithout departing from the truespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed .as new is as follows:

1. A portable molasses blender comprising a platform, supporting wheelson said platform elevating the same, a vertically extending mixingchamber having an open bottom seated on said platfornnsaid platformhaving an aperture into'which the bottom of said chamber opens,alclosurelin said chamber above said bottom, said closure including asloping bafile board fixed to the walls of said chamber, said baffieboard extending into contact with one wall of said chamber, a doormember pivotally mounted adjacent the opposed wall of said chamber, saiddoor being swingable into and out of closing engagement with said bafiieboard, an operating lever fixed to said door, a toothed rack mounted onsaid chamber, said lever being engageable with said rack to selectivelyposition said door withrespect to said baflie board.

2. A portable molasses blender comprisinga platform, supporting wheelson said platform elevating the same, a vertically extending mixingchamber 'having an open bottom seated on said platform, said platformhaving an aperture into which said bottom opens, a closure in saidchamber above said bottom, said closure including a sloping baffle boardfixed to the walls of-saidchamber, said bafile board extending intocontact with one wall of said chamber, a door member pivotally mounted:adjacent the opposed wall of said chamber, said door being swingableinto and out of closing engagement with said baffle board, an operatinglever fixed to said door, a toothed rack mounted on said chamber, saidlever being engageable with said rack to selectively position said doorwith respect to said bafiie board, a shaft extending transversely ofsaid chamber intermediate said closure and the top of said chamber, aplurality of mixing blades fixed in spaced relation on said shaft, anintermediate one of said blades being longer than the remaining blades,said blade having minimum clearance with the sides of said chamber, andan inclined supply pipe extending into the top of said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS560,259 Day et a1. May 19, 1896 1,706,291 Hayes Mar. 19, 1929 2,237,787Marshall Apr. 8, 1941

1. A PORTABLE MOLASSES BLENDER COMPRISING A PLATFORM, SUPPORTING WHEELSON SAID PLATFROM ELEVATING THE SAME, A VERTICALLY EXTENDING MIXINGCHAMBER HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM SEATED ON SAID PLATFORM, SAID PLATFORMHAVING AN APERTURE INTO WHICH THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER OPENS, ACLOSURE IN SAID CHAMBER ABOVE SAID BOTTOM, SAID CLOSURE INCLUDING ASOPING BAFFLE BOARD EXTENDING INTO WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER, SAID BAFFLEBOARD EXTENDING INTO CONTACT WITH ONE WALL OF SAID CHAMBER, A DOORMEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE OPPOSED WALL OF SAID CHAMBER, SAIDDOOR BEING SWINGABLE INTO AND OUT OF CLOSING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BAFFLEBOARD, AN OPERATING LEVER FIXED TO SAID DOOR, A TOOTHED RACK MOUNTED ONSAID CHAMBER, SAID LEVER BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RACK TO SELECTIVELYPOSITION SAID DOOR WITH RESPECT TO SAID BAFFLE BOARD.